{"id":5417,"date":"2016-03-31T07:18:53","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T11:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/?p=5417"},"modified":"2023-12-03T14:04:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T18:04:02","slug":"chitting-potatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/chitting-potatoes\/","title":{"rendered":"Chitting Potatoes Gives Them a Head Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chitting potatoes is also called greensprouting, or pre-sprouting. Chitting it is a way of preparing potatoes for planting by encouraging them to sprout before planting in the ground. This gives the tubers a head start and encourages faster growth and heavier crops once the seed potatoes are planted.<\/p>\n

\"Chitting<\/p>\n

Seed potatoes are small potato tubers that you can purchase online or at your favorite garden or farm store. When you plant seed potatoes, you are planting a potato produced by the plant the previous year.<\/p>\n

The process of chitting potatoes is simply encouraging the potato seeds to begin growing before they are planted into the ground.<\/p>\n

Chitting potatoes is not a necessary step to growing potatoes, but it may give the crop a head start so it matures quicker.<\/p>\n\n

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How to Chit Potatoes<\/h2>\n

Once you have sourced your seed potatoes, and figured out your planting time, you can begin to chit or green sprout the potato seeds:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Determine Your Potato Planting Time<\/h3>\n

Plan on planting your potatoes in early spring about two to four weeks before your last expected frost date. Look yours up by zip code at Plantmaps.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Start Chitting Potatoes 4 Weeks Before Planting<\/h3>\n

Begin chitting potato seeds about 4 weeks before planting them in the ground.<\/p>\n

Examine each potato and identify the end with the most eyes. This is called the rose end and this is where your potatoes will grow sprouts. Place your seed potatoes a single layer in egg cartons or shallow, open boxes with the rose end up.<\/p>\n

\"Chitting<\/p>\n

Step 3: Trigger the Potatoes to Sprout<\/h3>\n

Locate the seed potatoes in a warm dark area, around 70\u02daF (21\u02daC) to break their dormancy. You should see some sprouts a week or so.<\/p>\n

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In about two weeks, move them to a cooler location 50\u02daF (10\u02daC) with some light. The light makes the sprouts turn green and healthy.<\/p>\n

After about three weeks, you should see some nice green sprouts or pink depending on the potato variety. Let these sprouts grow until they are 1-2 inches (3-5 cm) long.<\/p>\n

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Step 4: Divide the Seed Potatoes for Planting<\/h3>\n

If your seed potatoes are large, you can divide them into smaller pieces. Cutting your seed potatoes is a thrifty way of increasing your seed stock and potential yield. Each piece will grow a potato plant that will produce numerous tubers.<\/p>\n

Select egg sized segments with at least three sprouts per piece and cut the potatoes with a sharp knife. Let the cut areas heal over for a few days before planting. They should feel leathery and dry to the touch. You can also dip the freshly cut ends in in wood ash.<\/p>\n

\"Chitting<\/p>\n

Plant the sprouted potatoes two to four weeks before your last expected frost date, once the soil has drained, and the soil temperature is at least 45\u02daF.<\/p>\n

If you have to postpone planting because of the weather, move the seed potatoes to a cooler location to slow down the growth of the sprouts.<\/p>\n

Want to Learn How to\u00a0Grow Potatoes?<\/h2>\r\n

You will find everything you need to start growing potatoes in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Growing Potatoes<\/em>.<\/a> Whether you are striving for a few gourmet fingerling potatoes or a large crop for winter food storage, this guide will show how you can grow your own, organic, homegrown potatoes.\"Grow<\/a><\/p>\n

Read On for More\u00a0Potato Growing Tips:<\/h3>\n